La reine des Pays-Bas reçoit le président allemand 09/10/2007

German president Horst Koehler and his wife Eva Luise arrived at Rotterdam Airport Monday morning for what was Koehler's first state visit to the Netherlands since he took office in 2004.Much of the visit will be spent broadening all aspects of Dutch-German cooperation - political, scientific and economical. Among others, the German president is due to visit the so-called Euregion.In recent years, the province of Twente in the Eastern Netherlands bordering with Germany has increasingly become a role model for far-reaching Dutch-German cooperation and integration. Monday morning, the Koehlers were greeted at Rotterdam airport by Dutch Queen Beatrix, who had invited the German president. From there, the officials travelled to the Noordeinde Palace, the Queen's office in The Hague, for a reception. Among the invited guests were Dutch Prime Minister Jan Peter Balkenende, several government officials, Chief-of-staff General Dick Berlijn and Mayor of The Hague, Wim Deetman. Monday's lunch, also at the palace, was also attended by Dutch crown prince Willem-Alexander, his wife princess Maxima and the queen's brother-in-law Pieter van Vollenhoven. Later that day, Koehler was due to speak with Balkenende and the chairmen of the upper and lower houses of parliament. The presidential couple was also expected at the International Criminal Court in The Hague for talks with the court president, the clerk and the prosecutor. Monday's official programme would be closed with a state banquet at Noordeinde Palace (photo). Koehler's day Tuesday is to start with a memorial ceremony for the victims of German bombing of Rotterdam on May 14, 1940, which resulted in the Dutch capitulation to the Germans in World War II. Not coincidentally, the ceremony about a darker Dutch-German past will be followed by talks between the president and policy makers, entrepreneurs and scientists on deepening Dutch-German relations and cooperation. After a government lunch at the Dutch parliament on Tuesday, Koehler will spent most afternoon at the Crowne Plaza Promenade Hotel debating sustainable development with entrepreneurs. A special concert by the choir Carmina Mundi, based in Aachen, will mark the end of the second day of the state visit. On Wednesday, Queen Beatrix accompanies the German president to Enschede, a city in the eastern Netherlands. The officials are due to visit the University of Twente. The president is due to leave the Netherlands following a lunch at the prestigious Twickel Castle on Wednesday afternoon.

On October 9th the Republic of Bulgaria´s President, H.E. Mr Georgi Parvanov, and his wife Zorka Parvanova, came to Sweden for a three day long state visit.The visit took place in Stockholm, Uppsala and Enköping and focused on the two countries close cooperation in the fields of energy, defence and the world of culture, as well as the EU.After the welcoming ceremony The King and the Queen hosted a private luncheon at the Royal Palace for the President and his wife. After the luncheon the President met with the Speaker and the Prime Minister. The President´s wife, Mrs Parvanova, visited the Bernadotte Library together with The Queen and The Crown Princess.The President and Mrs Parvanova, along with The King and The Queen, visited the Swedish Academy in the Old Town where they met with Horace Engdahl, (Permanent Secretary of the Swedish Academy).On the evening of October 9th, The King and The Queen hosted a gala dinner at the Royal Palace. Crown Princess Victoria, Prince Carl Philip and Princess Madeleine also attended.The King, The Crown Princess and President Parvanov on a walk in Hammarby Sjöstad. Photo: Scanpix.The second day of the Bulgarian State Visit started with a seminar at the World Trade Center where the President made a speech, and was followed by a visit to Glashus Ett and Hammarby Sjöstad together with The King and The Crown Princess.After the luncheon at Stockholm´s City Hall the President and Mrs Parvanova visited the Wasa Museum and Nationalmuseum. In the evening the President hosted a concert and reception in the Grünewaldsal of the Stockholm Concert Hall. Before departing for Bulgaria on October 11, the President and Mrs Parvanova visited Uppsala and Enköping. Find out more about the Bulgarian State Visit by following the links on the right hand side of this page.

Vers une monarchie constitutionnelle en Georgie ? 10/10/2007

Ilia II, the Patriarch of the Georgian Orthodox Church, said on October 7 it was time to consider establishing a constitutional monarchy.He said with the end of the ancient Georgian royal dynasty of Bagrationi, upon Russia's annexation of Georgia in 1801, “it has been a dream of the Georgian people to have this dynasty restored.I am saying this because today conditions exist which may help to make this dream of the Georgian people come true,” Illia II said in his Sunday sermon in the Holy Trinity Cathedral in Tbilisi.The comments come amid political confrontation between the authorities and opposition parties. A group of ten opposition parties has launched a campaign calling for the abolition of the presidency and the creation of a parliamentary system of government.“Discussions are currently underway on what type of Georgia we should have,” Illia II said. “Very often other states dictate to us what to do. Some tell us it should be a presidency and some say it should be a parliamentary [republic]. This is not up to others to decide. This is up to the Georgian people and people living in Georgia to decide.”Outsider opposition parties support the initiative forwarded by Catholicos-Patriarch of all Georgia Ilia II, on restoration of monarchy in the country.According to Shalva Natelashvili, leader of Laborist Party, restoration of king's rule would give Georgia the historical and national passport.Koka Gamsakhurdia, leader of political movement Freedom, says that king does not necessarily mean 'dictator ruler' and he would be a guarantee of integrity of the country.Majority of the opposition parties support introduction of constitutional monarchy in Georgia.